Local privilege escalation via unlocked kgd_mem pointer
Published Dec 9, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel amdkfd component allows local users to execute arbitrary kernel code through /dev/kfd ioctls. The map and unmap handlers release p->mutex before amdgpu_amdkfd_gpuvm_sync_memory finishes using a translated kgd_mem pointer, allowing a concurrent free ioctl to reclaim the buffer object. Access to /dev/kfd on an AMD GPU system is required; an ordinary local user can control the race to escalate privileges or repeatedly trigger kernel panics.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel amdkfd component allows local users to execute arbitrary kernel code through /dev/kfd ioctls. The map and unmap handlers release p->mutex before amdgpu_amdkfd_gpuvm_sync_memory finishes using a translated kgd_mem pointer, allowing a concurrent free ioctl to reclaim the buffer object. Access to /dev/kfd on an AMD GPU system is required; an ordinary local user can control the race to escalate privileges or repeatedly trigger kernel panics.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-53816
- Published
- Dec 9, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 9, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 5, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=3.19
- Affected versionversion=4a488a7ad71401169cecee75dc94bcce642e2c53 <5045360f3bb62ccd4f87202e33489f71f8bbc3fc
- Affected versionversion=4a488a7ad71401169cecee75dc94bcce642e2c53 <5ca14fb5552ac13a2402d306c0bd2379a71610ff
- Affected versionversion=4a488a7ad71401169cecee75dc94bcce642e2c53 <9da050b0d9e04439d225a2ec3044af70cdfb3933
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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